ASA supports OFT Scams Awareness month
01 February 2008
The ASA is supporting the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) Scams Awareness Month to help protect members of the public from falling victim to scams. The ASA is joining the OFT and other consumer protection bodies, such as Consumer Direct and Trading Standards, in raising awareness about the various techniques that scam operators use to target people. There is a particular emphasis being placed on protecting the young or elderly who are often the more vulnerable members of society. Raising consumer awareness will help to educate the public to identify scams and so be better equipped to avoid falling for them.
Scams through the post, via email or calls cost UK consumers £3.5billion every year. Victims of scams suffer emotionally as well as financially with some people losing thousands of pounds and suffering from depression.
The ASA regularly receives complaints from members of the public who have either fallen for a scam or are contacting us on behalf of a relative who has been targeted by one. Common scam techniques include mass marketed scams such as bogus lotteries, psychic mailings and unsolicited e-mails offering cash windfalls. Invariably scams involve consumers parting with their money but getting nothing in return. Scams prey on people’s superstitions, fears and lack of awareness.
Because scams are run by illegitimate and bogus operators it can be very difficult to take direct action against them. They are often run by fly-by-night organisations or individuals who have no fixed address, are difficult to track down or are often based abroad. Because they operate outside the law the best course of action is to educate consumers so that they are less likely to be victims of scams.
To help raise awareness of scams amongst consumers the ASA has put together some top tips for how to spot scams and avoid falling for them:
• If you receive a mailing informing you that you have won thousands or millions of pounds be sceptical. Did you enter a competition in the first place? Is the mailing unsolicited? Are you really likely to have won something for nothing?
• If the e-mail, mailing, text or phone call asks you to part with money in order to take advantage of the offer or collect your winnings stop and think. The ASA urges consumers not to part with money up-front if you have not heard of the company or individual who has contacted you
• Never give out personal details such as bank account number, date of birth or other similar information
• Scams prey on people’s vulnerabilities. Psychic mailers prey on superstitions. These types of scams offer people solutions to problems such as illness, debt or relationships and can be threatening in tone
• If you have an elderly relative who is being targeted by scams encourage them to throw any unsolicited mail in the bin or to show you what they have received before they reply to anything
• Contact the ASA about any advertising material that you believe is misleading or harmful and that you believe to be a scam. The ASA will look into your complaint and inform you if there is anything we can do to help
• By letting the ASA and other consumer protection organisations know when you have spotted a scam it will help in our joint efforts to raise further awareness and clamp down on rogue operators.
For more information you can also visit the Office of Fair Trading website:
www.oft.gov.uk